Lateral motion railway car truck

ABSTRACT

A railway car truck includes a bolster assembly having a transverse beam structure on which side bearings are mounted. The assembly further includes a pair of leaf springs which extend transversely with the beam and have their ends connected to the side frames of the truck. The side frames include means for permitting pivotal movement of the leaf spring assemblies during lateral swinging movement of the side frames. The side frames include depending webs and upwardly extending flanges at opposite ends of the web which support outwardly longitudinally projecting hinge plates which support the side frame on journal boxes carried at the ends of wheel axles. The journal boxes include a pivot saddle within which the pivot plates are supported. Upwardly extending stop plates connected to the journal boxes include rubber type biscuits which engage the pivot plates and resiliently bias the same against lateral swinging movement.

United States Patent [191 Peterson LATERAL MOTION RAILWAY CAR TRUCK [75] Inventor: William H. Peterson, l-lomewood, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Oct. 19, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 190,505

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[ Aug. 28, 1973 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran AttorneyI-lilmond O. Vogel et a].

[ 5 7] ABSTRACT A railway car truck includes a bolster assembly having a transverse beam structure on which side bearings are mounted. The assembly further includes a pair of leaf springs which extend transversely with the beam and have their ends connected to the side frames of the truck. The side frames include means for permitting pivotal movement of the leaf spring assemblies during lateral swinging movement of the side frames. The side frames include depending webs and upwardly extending flanges at opposite ends of the web which support outwardly longitudinally projecting hinge plates which support the side frame on journal boxes carried at the ends of wheel axles. The journal boxes include a pivot saddle within which the pivot plates are supported. Upwardly extending stop plates connected to the journal boxes include rubber type biscuits which engage the pivot plates and resiliently bias the same against lateral swinging movement.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 6 I8 IF- PATENTED It"; 28 I975 SHEEI30F5 PAIENTED I828 I975 suwums PAIENIwAusw m 3,754;514 SHEE! 5 0F 5 LATERAL MOTION RAILWAY .CAR TRUCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The field of the invention relates to railway car trucks of the type particularly suited for supporting railway car bodies.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art includes patents pertaining to railway car trucks and particularly those which are designed to provide a more even and smooth ride of the car-body despite certain deficiencies which may be found in railroad tracks. Such prior art devices have included swing hangers and other dampening devices intended to prevent roll or bounce of the car body generally a direct result of the condition of the track. Most of the prior art devices have not solved the invention and those which have been of some assistance in solving the problem are complex in structure adding greatly to the weight of the truck, providing a large initial investment, and subsequent high cost of maintenance. The present design overcomes these deficiencies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved railway car truck particularly adapted for freight operations which will substantially eliminate the forces which normally cause rock and roll of the railway car as it moves over the tracks. This is achieved by a car truck having side frames which support a bolster structure including at least one leaf spring assembly. The side frames provide pivot means for the ends of the spring assembly for swinging movement of the side frames about longitudinal axes. The side frames are supported on the wheel carrying axles so that the complete side frame is pivoted longitudinally at its upper ends with depending portions of the side frames swinging laterally outwardly about said pivot means. The pivotal connection of the side frames to the axles is on boxes journal boxes of the wheel and axle assembly and includes resilient restraining means which resiliently dampens the swinging movement of the side frames.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an improved railway car. truck;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the railway car truck shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of a bolster and side frame construction showing portions broken away to disclose the connection of the side frame to a wheel and axle assembly;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. I; 7

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. I;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of portions of a bolster assembly and a side frame and its connections to the journal boxes of an axle and wheel assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a railway car truck is designated by the reference character 10 and includes a pair of axles 11 having supported thereon for rotation therewith suitable conventional flanged wheels I2. The outer end of the axles 11 support journal boxes 13 of relatively conventional design each including a bearing or journal bore 14. Caps l5 and screws 16 are connected to the axles 11 for retaining conventional bearings (not shown) thereon.

The car truck includes a pair of side frames 18 each of which includes a vertical web 19 connected to a lower flange 20 in turn connected to upright flanges 21, also suitably connected to the ends of the web 19. A tubular member 22 is connected to the upper end of the web 19 and in turn is suitably connected to the upright flanges 21. Upright pivot plates 23 are connected to the upright flanges 21 and project outwardly therefrom longitudinally. Each pivot plate 23 also includes a downwardly extending hook shaped plate portion 24 with an L-shaped cut-out 25. A reinforcing flange 26 extends and is connected to the pivot plate 23 and the hook shaped plate portion 24. Each of the journal boxes 13 has connected thereto a retainer bracket generally designated at 27. The retainer brackets 27 each include a pair of upwardly diverging plates 28 suitably connected to a lower horizontal plate 29 which is provided with a recess providing a pivot saddle 30. The lower edges of the upright pivot plates 23 are provided with an arcuate pivot portion 31 seated in the pivot saddle 30. The horizontal plate 29, as best shown in FIG. 4, is supported on a horizontal plate 32 forming part'of an angle shaped retainer 33 in conventional fashion. Cap screws 34 suitably connect the brackets 27 to the retainers 33 and journal box 13. A pair of biscuits or blocks of rubber like, material 35 are suitably bonded I to each of the diverging 26 28, thereby forming a saddle 36 between which movement pivot plates 23 are supported. The rubber type blocks 35 may be of a high hysteresis type elastiner also suitably bonded to said pivot plates 23. The pivot plates 23 and side frames 18 are retained against longitudinal displacement by means of bolt 37 extending through openings 38 pro vided in the plates 28 and extending through the blocks 35 and through a slot 39 in each of the pivot plates 23.

The web 19 is also provided, as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, with horizontally spaced slots 40 having retained therein an inverted U-shaped pivot member 41. The bolster assembly is designated at 42 and includes a transversely extending beam 43 having supported thereon at opposite ends side bearings 44 of conventional design, the latter including suitable rollers 44'. A truck center plate 45 is centrally supported on the beam 43 for connection to the car body center plate (not shown) which is well known in the art. The bolster assembly 42 further includes a pair of nested leaf spring assemblies generally designated at 46 which are suitably secured to the transverse beam 43 by means of a tie plate 47 having bolt and nut connections 48 connected to the center plate 45. As best shown in FIG 6, the ends of a lower leaf spring 49 are suitably supported on the U-shaped pivot members 41 and are retained within the slots 40 by means of a lock plate 50 suitably connected by bolt and nut assemblies 51. Each of the lock plates 50 includes an arcuate pivot recess Sl' which provides for pivoting movement on the pivot member 41.

Brake shoes 52 are disclosed engaging the wheels 12 and these are supported on arms 53 extending diagonally upward for connection to a bracket 54, in turn rigidly secured to a loose collar 55, the loose collars 55 in turn being supported on the tubular member 22. The brake shoes 52 may be, of course, actuated by a suitable brake actuating mechanism of conventional design and is well known to those skilled in the art.

OPERATION The problems of rock and roll of railroad car bodies is well known in the railway field and this phenomenon if of sufficient amplitude, can provide for derailment or severe wear and maintenance problems, particularly on the center plates. The general theory appears to be that rock and roll results to a great extent from the condition of the railway track. For instance, staggered rail joints are one of the reasons that vertical components result which are transmitted from the truck to the car body causing the rocking and rolling movement. The present truck in its operation over the track greatly diminishes the results of the forces and conditions encountered in that these forces are dynamically dampened as the side frames bodily are permitted to swing outwardly and inwardly about the pivot plates 23 as they pivot on the saddle portions 31. The ends of the leaf spring assemblies are also supported to accommodate the swinging movement on the U-shaped pivot members so that the bolster merely moves slightly laterally as the swinging movement of the side frame members takes place. The sideward swinging movement of the frame members 18 also is resiliently dampened by means of the rubber like biscuits 35 in their pivoting movement. As a result rock and roll caused by the conventional track is greatly reduced by the present invention. Also, the truck may be of strong yet relatively light simple construction requiring minimum maintenance. Also, the tubular members 22 strengther the side frame structure and also provide simplified hanger means for the brake shoes of the braking system.

What is claimed is:

l. A railway car truck comprising:

a pair of horizontally spaced side frames,

a truck bolster assembly transversely extending between and supported on said side frames,

said truck bolster assembly including a rigid transverse beam supporting said center plate and a spring assembly including leaf springs connected to said beam,

each frame including a central depending vertical support web,

means pivotally connecting said springassembly to said vertical webs of said side frames and including aligned apertures in said web having pivot surfaces engaged by the ends of said leaf springs, and

truck wheels disposed inwardly of side frames,

wheel carrying axles extending outwardly on opposite ends of said side frames and carried on said wheels,

journal means carried on opposite ends of said axles outwardly of the wheels for supporting said side frames,

depending plates connected to the upper outer ends of said dependeing webs and having upright lower pivot edges and projecting horizontally longitudinally outwardly above said journal means,

pivot element support means supporting said pivot elements on said journal means and including upper horizontal surfaces on which said pivot edges are supported for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis to permit swinging movement of said frames, and

stop members on said plates,

resilient means in the form of resilient blocks of rubber-like material supported between said stop members and said plates resiliently resisting said swinging movement,

said means pivotally connecting said spring assembly including restraining means connecting the end of said leaf springs in said apertures.

2. The invention according to claim 1,

and means connecting said journal means and said upright plates for connecting said axles against relative longitudinal displacement with respect to said frames. 

1. A railway car truck comprising: a pair of horizontally spaced side frames, a truck bolster assembly transversely extending between and supported on said side frames, said truck bolster assembly including a rigid transverse beam supporting said center plate and a spring assembly including leaf springs connected to said beam, each frame including a central depending vertical support web, means pivotally connecting said spring assembly to said vertical webs of said side frames and including aligned apertures in said web having pivot surfaces engaged by the ends of said leaf springs, and truck wheels disposed inwardly of side frames, wheel carrying axles extending outwardly on opposite ends of said side frames and carried on said wheels, journal means carried on opposite ends of said axles outwardly of the wheels for supporting said side frames, depending plates connected to the upper outer ends of said dependeing webs and having upright lower pivot edges and projecting horizontally longitudinally outwardly above said journal means, pivot element support means supporting said pivot elements on said journal means and including upper horizontal surfaces on which said pivot edges are supported for pivotal movement about a longi-tudinal axis to permit swinging movement of said frames, and stop members on said plates, resilient means in the form of resilient blocks of rubber-like material supported between said stop members and said plates resiliently resisting said swinging movement, said means pivotally connecting said spring assembly including restraining means connecting the end of said leaf springs in said apertures.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, and means connecting said journal means and said upright plates for connecting said axles against relative longitudinal displacement with resPect to said frames. 